1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera and to a method of controlling the operation thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
When the user of a camera decides the angle of view, there are instances where the user looks at the optical viewfinder of the camera. The user brings an eye close to the optical viewfinder, observes the subject through the optical viewfinder and shoots the subject at the desired angle of view.
Further, there are cameras such as one that displays the image of a ring in an electronic viewfinder to give the sensation of using a ring operating member rotatably disposed on the outer periphery of a lens barrel (Patent Document 1), one that displays a mode menu bar in an electronic viewfinder in response to touching of an LCD (Patent Document 2), and one that display a mode dial image on a liquid crystal monitor (Patent Document 3).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-160275
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-263425
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-33370
When the eye of the user is brought near an optical viewfinder in order to decide angle of view, operating members provided on the camera case do not fall within the user's field of view. As a consequence, unless the user actually manipulates the operating member, the user cannot tell what the operating member being manipulated is nor what operation will be performed when the member is manipulated. For example, consider a camera having multiple dial operating members such as a mode dial and an up/down dial. When the user finds a dial by feel and tries turning the dial on such a camera, there are instances where the user realizes what operation he has been performed only after the mode display inside the optical viewfinder changes over or only after there is an increase or decrease in a corresponding numerical value such as the aperture or shutter speed. When the user operates such a camera while continuing to look into the optical viewfinder, operation of the camera is complicated and prone to error, and the user may miss a good photo opportunity by taking his eye from the optical viewfinder in order to check the dial he is manipulating.
In the cited Patent Documents 1 to 3, a ring or the like is displayed in an electronic viewfinder but no consideration is given to an arrangement that will allow the user to ascertain which operating dial or the like he is manipulating on a camera that offers the characterizing feature of an optical viewfinder, namely the ability to decide the angle of view while observing an attractive optical image of the subject.